SILLIAC was a local build of a machine somewhat like ILLIAC - parallel machine, Williams tubes for storage. Software compatible, so could reuse libraries. Two-instruction bootstrap.
Based on the American computer ILLIAC, SILLIAC was built by STC (Standard Telephones and Cables) in Sydney for the University of Sydney and was Australia’s 3rd computer and the University’s 2nd, after CSIR MK1.
In 1953, the head of physics at the University of Sydney, Harry Messel, wanted his own computer for the department. While CSIR MK1 was still at the University, it wasn’t available to him & his department. Together with researcher John Blatt, he convinced the University to build a copy of the University of Illinois’s ILLIAC which would be called the Sydney ILLIAC or SILLIAC.
SILLIAC was a parallel machine that was rather large, around 5m in length and 2 meters high. Initially, it had 2768 valves which was increased to 2911 valves in 1958. The valves used in SILLIAC were 5 times more reliable than the ones used in ILLIAC, having been produced by Bell Labs for undersea cables. This resulted in a failure rate of one failure every 11hrs. Initially it had Paper Tape for input but was upgraded to a “Punch Card” system. Many we interviewed had funny recollections of submitting work to SILLIAC. Featuring a Teleprinter for output, SILLIAC also featured 40 Williams Tubes carrying 40 bits at 1024 words for memory.
Through the help of a generous donor, SILLIAC became operational in June 1956 and was used by students, researchers, the Postmaster-General’s Department, and the Snowy Hydro Authority to help build one of the world’s largest engineering projects at the time. It had a 14-year lifespan, working reliably until its demise on May 7th, 1968.
Room-sized computing:
Percussive maintenance:
Thousands of 10 digit calculations to be performed!
There’s a playlist, presently 6 videos:
The Computer History of Australia
A timeline driven history of computing in Australia starting from CSIR MARK1 (CSIRAC) and ending with Quantum Computing. The series is focused on Australian achievements but with context of what was happening around the world.